Butter Your Way to the Top
Flattery, not good governance, reaps corporate directorships – especially for white males.
Solutions - Most Popular
Podcast
Nonprofits
William Foster - How to Grow a Nonprofit Big
Many nonprofits want to expand their staff and funding base so that they may serve a broader public. Until recently, little information was available about how such organizations may do so successfully. In an audio interview with Stanford Social Innovation Review managing editor Eric Nee, William Foster shares findings from the Bridgespan Group's groundbreaking research on what it takes to be in the big leagues. He discusses types of funders to pursue, how to restructure an expanding organization, and whether going big is right for everyone.
Podcast
Heather McLeod Grant - What Makes Great Nonprofits Great?
Now, more than ever, nonprofit leaders need to know how to maximize their social impact. Center for Social Innovation researcher Heather McLeod Grant shares some of the groundbreaking research explored in her coauthored book Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits. Drawing on her extensive study of nonprofit leaders and organizations, Grant reveals that success isn't just about "nonprofit management," but about creating larger systemic change. She shares three of the six practices for making such transformation possible.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy Doesn’t Care About Black People
It's high time for the nonprofit sector to put race on the table.
Worst Practices of a Social Entrepreneur
You can learn more from your mistakes than from your successes. Paul Schmitz, president and CEO of Public Allies, gives a sampling of classic foibles of not only social entrepreneurs, but leaders in general.
Business
15 Minutes with Hannah Jones
SSIR Academic Editor Jim Phills spoke with Nike’s Hannah Jones about the sportswear giant’s extensive corporate social responsibility programs.
Podcast
Amory Lovins - Energy Efficiency in Buildings - Part 2
Well-designed buildings not only conserve energy and reduce costs but also create conditions for better health and wellness. In this audio lecture, Amory Lovins uses several examples to show how the right mix of materials, resources, and expertise can create structures that celebrate living.
Podcast
Amory Lovins - Energy Efficient Design For Buildings - Part 1
Buildings represent an ideal opportunity for reducing energy use through clever design. In this audio lecture, Amory Lovins explores the many possibilities that building design offers us to "think outside of the box" in order to save energy. He shares numerous examples of effective design and even a few cases where smart energy design actually costs less to build, not more.
Global Issues
“In the 21st Century, the March Isn’t the Vehicle”
Cell phones, not marches, may be the social movement vehicle of the future.
Social Innovations
Private Equity, Public Good
Many businesses serving lower income communities languish because they can't raise enough money to fund their growth. To meet their needs, a new breed of private equity investment—development investment capital—has emerged. Although this style of investing is still in its infancy, it is already showing promise.